Among various industrial sewing machines, there have been known in the art the so-called multi-head automatic embroidering machines which have a plural number of machine heads side by side on and along a wide support table, and which are arranged to put the embroidering needles on the respective machine heads in reciprocating motions in a synchronized fashion by means of a single common drive source to form simultaneously a plural number of embroidery patterns or stitches on a spread of cloth which is retained in a movable cloth holder frame on the support table.
Existing multi-head automatic embroidering machines of this sort generally include various drive mechanisms and servo mechanisms, for example, a main shaft drive motor serving as a common drive source to drive the respective embroidering needles up and down in reciprocating motions, actuators for shifting the cloth holder frame position, mechanisms for changing the color of embroidering threads, mechanisms for cutting embroidering threads, sensors for detection of embroidering thread breakages etc. In forming embroidery patterns and stitches, automatic embroidering machines of this sort invariably need to control these mechanisms according to setup operational data.
In this regard, for centralized control of a large number of functions involved in embroidering operations, multi-head automatic embroidery machines are normally provided with a controller which is exclusively tailored to each model of embroidering machine. In most cases, the controller is largely constituted by; a display means with a viewing screen for visually indicating operational information or message such as drive conditions, operation menu and others; a plural number of manual switch keys for entering commands or other data for the operation of the embroidering machine; a disk drive for uploading and downloading files of operational data including embroidering data; and a microcomputer for generally controlling a large number of functions as mentioned above.
For instance, the controller is used to set up operational data by reading in a specified file of embroidering data (embroidery pattern generating data) from a floppy disk on the disk drive, and to control automatically the operations of moving parts of the embroidering machine according to setup embroidering data to produce aimed embroidery patterns at the respective machine head. Besides, it is usually the case that the operator can remote-control the frame driving actuators and color changing mechanisms arbitrarily at a desired time point in the course of an embroidering operation by way of the manual switch keys on the controller, which also include manual switch keys with functions of adding modifications or alterations to the embroidery pattern in the uploaded embroidering data file or other functions.
In case of an embroidering machine controller of this sort, it is impractical to provide on the controller a large number of function selector switches in one-on-one relation with all of the numerous functions which are resorted to in the control of embroidering operations, in consideration of the inferior operationability as would result from complications of switching (keying) operations involving a large number of function selector keys (switches). In order to reduce the number of function selector keys, it has been the general practice to divide the numerous functions into a plural number of selection groups (selection modes) which are convenient to the operator in terms of keying-in operations, and to allot the functions of the each selection group selectively to a reduced number of function selector keys in relation with a keying operation on a group selector key (switch) which switches the accessible selection group. In this case, it becomes possible to allot a plural number of functions of different groups to each one of the function selector keys. For example, in many cases a group selector key is provided on the controller for toggling the accessible function group between Group A consisting of a collection of functions to be used during an actual embroidering operation and Group B consisting of a collection of functions to be used in a preparatory setup stage prior to starting an embroidering operation. In this way, for the purpose of attaining higher operationability of the embroidery machine controller, attempts have thus far been made to reduce the number of function selector keys (switches) through group-by-group allocations of a large number of functions to the respective function selector keys on the controller.
Nevertheless, each time the selection group is switched from one group to another, the operator needs to know what functions are currently allotted to the respective function selector keys which are each assigned with a plural number of functions of different groups. In this regard, prior art embroidering machine controllers are mostly provided with a display means to show in characters a menu of functions which are currently allotted to the respective function selector keys or a guide message pertaining to a keying operation, so that under the guidance of the function menu and the guide message on the display, the operator can press the function selector keys to complete intended data setting jobs.
Namely, according to the above-described prior art embroidering machine controller, a large number of functions involved in embroidering operations are divided into groups and allotted group by group to a reduced number of function selector keys to simplify the keying (switching) operation in selecting a desired function, while indicating on a character display a menu of functions currently allotted to the respective function selector keys along with a guide message pertaining to a keying operation on the function selector keys to keep the operator posted of the progresses and results of keying operations.
However, these function menu and operational guide messages are normally indicated in characters on the display and their contents are renewed on each keying (switching) operation, so that the operator may not be able to find correct keys unless he or she is conversant with the language used in the menu and guide messages. Therefore, the operator needs to be a skilled person to perform the keying operations smoothly. In other words, the keying operations could be too difficult for an unskilled operator.
Besides, in case of the prior art embroidering machine controller which is arranged to show a function menu and a guide message in characters on a display screen, there inevitably arises a necessity for adapting the language in the menu and messages to the mother tongue of a country where the controller is to be used. However, a great deal of labor and time is required to change the specifications of the controller into conformity with the mother tongue of an operator or with the language of a country of use.
In a data setting device disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. Heil-166797 or its corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,906 (hereinafter referred to as "the other prior art controller" for brevity), this problem is coped with by providing a few (e.g., six) function selector keys (switches) for setting and keying in various operational data, in combination with a function menu switching key to be pressed by the operator for changing the allocation of functions to the respective function selector keys, and a display with six square sections on its screen to show pictorial symbols of functions currently allotted to the respective function keys. Each time the menu switching key is pressed, the allocation of functions to the respective function selector keys is shifted cyclically from first six functions to second six functions and so forth.
In this case, the function menu which is shown on the display screen consists of pictorial symbols of the functions which are currently allotted to the function selector keys, so that the operator can visually grip the current status of the respective function selector keys at the time of each keying operation regardless of the mother tongue of the operator.
However, in a keying operation for selecting an aimed function, the menu switching key of the just-mentioned other prior art controller is useful simply for combing through menu pages in which six different functions are allotted to the respective function keys sequentially from the numerous functions of an embroidering machine without any systematically organized links with each other and with the respective function selector keys. Therefore, the operator is often required to press the menu switching key repeatedly for many times looking for an aimed function among the pictorial symbols of the functions which are sequentially and cyclically shown on the display screen, paying great efforts just for finding a key of an aimed function. In addition, although the other prior art controller is arranged to show on the display a pictorial menu of the functions which are currently allotted to the respective function selector keys, it still requires the operator to check with eyes all of the pictorial symbols of the functions on the menu repeatedly while renewing the contents of the menu by pressing the menu switching key, failing to achieve improvements in operationability to any significant degree.